How would 1950's M&P compare to 1950's Colt Official Police as a service/carry weapon?

Colt for value; S&W if you value your life.

Just look under the side plate of each. The Colt engineers were talking with T. Leary. The S&W engineers were being smart.

Forty/fifty years ago they were equal, and I would have no reservations about having either one on my duty belt.

Today, you can find a gunsmith that works on S&W 100 times easier than you can find a good Colt revolver gunsmith.

I see more good condition Smiths for sale than I see Colts for sale.

Hey Retired W4: is it ok if I borrow that line from you? Classic.

You got it!!

About equal. The S&W has a straight through double action. The Colt tends to "stack" in DA. The Colt is also a bit heavier.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

I have wanted to know the same thing, so once I acquired one of each, I have compared my 1948 M&P and a 1950 OP, both equipped from their service careers with grip adapters, both 4" barrels.
If I were shooting for points: the Colt wins hands-down. Smoother action, best SA trigger pull on any DA revolver I've ever owned, better sights, more accurate, slightly heavier.
If I were carrying day in day out on duty: the M&P. Not as bulky, leaner and lighter, a much faster and more ergonomical cylinder latch for reloading, and as Muley said, better for fast DA.
When I compete against myself shooting the two alternating, the Colt always gets me the better score, and to be sure it's not just me, I've had a few friends do the same, with same results. But compared to the M&P, it does feel brick-like, and I'm not a fan of the thin unsupported ejector rod either.

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IMO the Colt would be the better crafted gun of the two with better sights, but the S@W would be a better DA shooter and would respond better to hard use.

Old timers told me the Colt heavy barrel was better if a BG bumped his head on it.....

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Only difference Fool/Mule-ears

No good answer. The Colt OP is built on a larger frame and is a little heavier. The Colt has more complex internals, but is every bit as rugged and dependable as the S&W. I greatly prefer the Colt trigger pull and fixed sights, and the cylinder lockup at hammer fall is much tighter. And in equivalent condition, sale of a good OP will bring more than a S&W K-frame. On the negative side, at least at present, not too many gunsmiths know how to work on a Colt vs. S&W, and parts are more difficult to come by if needed.

Here are 2 fine revolvers - both from 1948. A Colt Officers Model Target and a S&W K22. Hard to say which is better overall. I will say the Colt has a better SA trigger - and the Smith is much better in DA. They tend to go into my range bag together, and I'm glad they're both under my care.

Jerry

Well i have a pair that usually make the range bag together. They are both from the thirtys.



Both have great triggers but the M&P has a king action. I do not know if king touched the internals of the OP.

I find it very interesting how the cylinder and release work opposite on each gun. Makes using them on the same range trip a memory exercise.

Many claim the S&W cylinder rotates in the wrong direction, and there is some truth in that. I have a pre-war Colt Officer's Model Target and a 1954 Colt Officer's Model Match, both essentially target versions of the Colt Official Police. I do not know how any factory .38 Target revolvers could be improved upon. I shoot better with either than I can with my 1977 K-38.

All the Colts I handle from the dame era as their Smith counter parts seem looser when found in similar wear condition maybe its just me.

Any revolver will loosen up from exessive use and abuse. The oldest Colt DA I have is a .32-20 Army Special (essentially the same as the Official Police) from 1911, and it's as sound as it was the day it was made. Note that the OP in .38 Special was advertised by Colt as fully capable of using the more powerful .38-44 cartridge, the same as used in the N-frame S&W Heavy Duty and Outdoorsman revolvers. And indeed it will, as I have fired .38-44 equivalent handloads in mine with no difficulty.

Trivia question: which Colt DA revolver did Ed McGivern use to set many shooting records?

Watch this video below to find out!


By golly, there sure are a lot of Colts at 0:51

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}-----Jim----->
~SWCA #2732~

40 years ago, my academy class had a choice of either a Colt OP or a Model 10, both 6" guns, as their service revolver; those lasted until the switch to Model 64s some years later. Which ever you had, you shot the same course, and everyone qualified - I don't recall anyone having mechanical or shooter problems with either, and the duty load was 110gr. Super Vel. I appreciated the extra wgt. of the Colt, but that's just me.

Ed McGivern had a pair of Colt Officers Model (2nd Issue) revolvers in .38 Special, and I think they were matched. Both were the target version of the Colt Army Special revolver (which later became the OP). I don't know if he used them to set any historic speed-shooting records and I don't see them hanging on the wall in the NRA video.

both will work just fine....

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SWCA#2208
KK4EMO

I don’t see the Official Police’s weight as a valid complaint because for those who wanted lighter weight Colt offered the Police Positive. Colts had larger, easier to see fixed sights.

However, those who report their Colts’ single action pulls are better are ignoring the original question which asked how they compare as a “service/carry weapon.” Single action was for your own hobby time at home. No one has suggested S&Ws were not easier to hit with DA and that’s the whole show. Both my Colts going out of time followed by not being able to find a gunsmith to retime them was the end of them for me. Colt lost the revolver market for good reasons.

Since a fixed sighted GP 100’s rear notch takes advantage of the top strap humps that normally shield an adjustable sight, GP 100s have replaced Colts as the fixed sight revolvers with the largest sights.

This is true, although I don't know why. I have read many opinions on the subject but my experience keeps me coming back to the S&W. I can shoot a Smith better than a like, or similar Colt. Maybe that's because the Smith just feels better or there is some visceral attachment with a Smith. That's not exactly a great way to judge a firearm, but it works for me. That is what really counts.

1948 M&P, 1962 OP.

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Well, if a bad guy bumps his head on your service revolver, it better be the S&W. It has the ejector rod lock and a lot thicker rod. They're both fine revolvers. It's personal preference. Both .38 special, 6 shots, no concernable difference. In a firefight, it's a draw. Of course, on our forum, with our unbiased social observers, the Smith wins.

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Wayne
Torn & Frayed

Nooo. I've never detected any bias or brand preference here. We are all very open minded. That being said, GO S&W!!!

Actually, with all due respect, you are the one ignoring the original question, which was about the 1950s. A lot of officer firearms training back then was still SA, one-handed, one eye closed, and such. That's how officers earned "marksman" and "expert" badges back then, and too often took these nifty badges to their graves because they did nothing to prepare them for a gunfight. But if one compares two guns from the period, one should compare them within their time.

There are pros and cons to each. However, I would like to point out that not everyone considers the Colt DA inferior. It certainly stacks, and is probably a little harder to use on a paper target. However, if for some arcane reason an LEO finds it appropriate to be pointing a revolver at some guilty party with the trigger partially pulled, the Colt offers no surprises. He will fire that gun only because he intends to. That is not always true of an S&W.

I am aware that all of us armchair LE experts without LE experience can explain why one should never be pointing a gun at a person without having already decided to shoot him, probably repeatedly. I also am aware that there are some LEOs who might know different. For them, the stacking Colt has what might be perceived an advantage.

Yeah well you guys can keep all of your Colt OPs - just leave me these

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}-----Jim----->
~SWCA #2732~

I prefer S&W. Doesn't make it any better than the Colt, I just happen to prefer them. I shoot both equally as well. Truth of the matter is, back in the day, all my Police shooting trophies were won with a Colt Python. My favorite duty revolver was the last one I carried before going to autos, a 4" 686. I came to my senses, but I still own that Python!

I like them both though I give the edge to Smith & Wesson for the double-action smoothness. Well that and the fact that the K frame just fits my hand like a glove, but I am very fond of the Colt OP and Officers Model.

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I type. Therefore I am.